Method and apparatus for relieving a vacuum condition in an extruded tubular member or the like



Jan. 10, 1967 3,296,847

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RELIEVING A VACUUM CONDITION 1 A. D. GETTIG AN EXTRUDED TUBULAR MEMBER OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 2]., 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALLEN D. GETTIG BY 2% flut/L/ ms ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1967 A. D. GETTIG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RELIEVING A VACUUM CONDITION IN AN EXTRUDED TUBULAR MEMBER OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1965 VdE INVENTOR. ALLEN D. GETTIG HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,296,847 METHOD AND APPARATUS FUR RELIEVING A VACUUM CONDITION IN AN EXTRUDED TU- BULAR MEMBER OR THE LIKE Allen D. Gettig, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Get. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 317,521 22 Claims. (Cl. 72-254) This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for extruding a hollow tubular member from a solid billet or the like in such a manner that an adverse vacuum condition in the tubular member is eliminated before the vacuum condition can collapse the tubular member.

It is well known from the copending patent application, No. 317,463, filed October 21, 1963, by Murphy et al. and now Patent No. 3,296,848, that a hollow tubular member can be extruded from a solid billet in such a manner that the leading end of the hollow tubular member is closed whereby a vacuum condition is created as the tubular member is extruded from the solid billet.

It has been found that should this vacuum condition continue to exist in the tubular member as the tubular member is being extruded, the external air pressure acting against the tubular member causes the same to collapse whereby a great amount of tubular stock must be scrapped.

However, according to the teachings of this invention, an improved method and apparatus are provided wherein a projectile is adapted to be shot through the tubular member to relieve the adverse vacuum condition therein before the adverse vacuum condition causes the tubular member to collapse in the above manner.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for extruding a tubular member from a solid billet or the like, the apparatus having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for extruding a tubular member from a solid billet or the like, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of the method and apparatus of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with background structure removed.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrates another embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view illustrating the projectile shooting means of this invention.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the various parts illustrated in FIGURE 4.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described as being particularly adaptable for extruding hollow tubular members from a solid billet or the like, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide means for producing other articles as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the Patented Jan. 10, 1967 drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the Wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the improved method and apparatus of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 with all of the basic parts thereof forming the subject matter of the aforementioned copending patent application except the projectile shooting means 11 which forms the subject matter of this invention.

However, in order to understand the function of this invention, sufiicient detail of the apparatus 10 will now be described.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the apparatus 10 comprises a hollow housing 12 receiving a sleeve member 13 which defines a cavity 14 for receiving a solid metallic billet 15, the billet 15 subsequently being extruded into a hollow tubular member 16 in a manner hereinafter described.

A plurality of collar means 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are carried by stationary frame means 23 and 24 and cooperate together to define a passage means 25 leading from the left hand end of the cavity 14.

The collar 22 cooperates with a holder 26 to support an external die means 27 adjacent the left hand end of the cavity 14 whereby the end 28 of the solid billet 15 is adapted to abut against the external die means 27.

A removable piercing and extruding mandrel 29 and a movable hollow stem means 30 are respectively adapted to be received in the right hand end of the cavity 14 to accomplish the extruding operation on the billet 15 in the manner set forth in the aforementioned copending patent application.

In particular, the mandrel 29 has a tip member 31 secured to the left hand end thereof and has its righthand end secured to a movable housing 32 which is adapted to be moved to the right or the left by suitable ram means.

The hollow stem 31) has the left hand end 33 thereof adapted to engage a dummy block 34 disposed between the right hand end 35 of the billet 15 and the stem 30 to force the billet 15 to the left for a purpose hereinafter described, the right hand end 36 of the hollow stem 30 being secured to a movable housing 37 in any suitable manner whereby the housing 37 is adapted to be moved to the right or to the left by suitable ram means.

When it is desired to extrude a tubular member 16 from a solid billet 15, the mandrel 29 and the stem 30 are removed from the cavity 14 of the stationary housing 12 and a heated solid billet 15 is placed therein with the end 28 of the billet 15 disposed against the external die means 27.

Thereafter, the hollow stem 31 and mandrel 29 are received in the right hand end of the cavity 14 until the dummy block 34 is disposed against the end 35 of the billet 15. With the stem 30 held in this position, the mandrel 29 is moved to the left so that the tip 31 thereof will pierce through the billet 15 and force a slug 38 thereof out through the external die means 27 until the tip 31 is disposed in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1 and cooperates with the external die means 27 to permit the tubular member 16 to be extruded through the annular cavity defined therebetween.

Thereafter, the piercing and extruding mandrel 29 is held stationary in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1 While the stem member 30 is moved to the left to cause the dummy block 34 to extrude the billet 15 out through the annular cavity between the tip 31 and external die means 27 to form the hollow tubular member 16.

However, since the leading end of the hollow tubular member 16 is sealed closed by the slug 38 thereof, it can be seen that as the tubular member 16 is extruded, a vacuum condition begins to exist therein as the distance between the slug 38 and the tip 31 of the mandrel 29 increases.

It has been found that if this vacuum condition continues to exist in the tubular member 16 as the tubular member 16 is being extruded, the external air pressure surrounding the tubular member 16 will subsequently, completely collapse the tubular member 16 whereby a great deal of waste or scrap will be provided by the apparatus 10. This adverse feature is particularly aggravated when a non-circular tubular member 16 is being extruded.

However, according to the teachings of this invention, the projectile shooting means 11 is provided for relieving the adverse vacuum condition in the hollow tubular member 16 before the vacuum condition can collapse the tubular member 16.

In particular, the projectile shooting means 11 is carried by the collar means 19 in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 and can comprise a conventional rifle, modified in a manner hereinafter described, whereby a conventional bullet can be shot either manually or autmatically from the projectile shooting means 11 through a suitable bore 39 in the collar means 1'9 to pierce completely through the tubular member 16 and be received in a bore 40 formed in the collar 19 beyond the projectile shooting means 11, the bullet forming vent passages 41 in the tubular member in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1 so that air can be drawn into the tubular member 16 as the same is being extruded so that no adverse vacuum condition will exist.

Thus, it can be seen that the projectile shooting means 11 can be so constructed and arranged that the same is readily adapted to relieve the adverse vacuum condition in the hollow tubular member 16 even while the hollow tubular member 16 is in the collar means 17-22 of the apparatus 10.

As previously set forth, the projectile shooting means 11 can be operated either manually or automatically.

For example, the operator can determine visually when the slug 38 has reached a predetermined point in the apparatus so that when the operator pulls the trigger of the projectile shooting means 11, the bullet thereof will pierce the hollow tubular member 16 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1.

However, if it is desired that the projectile shooting means 11 be automatically operated, the same can be constructed and arranged in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 3 wherein parts of the apparatus similar to the apparatus 10 of FIGURE 1 are illustrated by like reference numerals.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the trigger means of the projectile shooting means 11 is adapted to be actuated upon the energization of a solenoid coil 42 carried by the projectile shooting means 11, the coil 11 being adapted to receive electrical current from leads 43 and 44 connected to a suitable power source. However, before the leads 43 and 44 can connect the power source to the solenoid coil 42, a switch 45, carried by the apparatus 10, must be closed upon movement of an actuating member 46 thereof in a counterclockwise direction, the switch 45 being interconnected to the solenoid coil 42 by leads 47 and 48.

Thus, it can be seen that when the apparatus 10 in FIGURE 3 is operated, the solenoid coil 42 remains deenergized until the slug 38 of the tubular member 16 is moved to the left a sufficient distance to actuate the arm 46 of the switch 45 whereby the solenoid coil 42 is energized and causes actuation of the trigger of the projectile shooting means 11 to shoot the bullet through the tubular member 16 and provide the vent holes 41 for the purpose previously described, the solenoid arrangement 42 thereafter remaining dormant until the same is reset for another extrusion operation.

While the switch 45 has been illustrated in FIGURE 3 as being automatically operated by the extruded tubular member 16, it is to be understood that the switch 45 could be manually operated whereby the operator can remotely control the projectile shooting means 11.

While the projectile shooting means 11 of this invention can be constructed in any desired manner, one embodiment thereof is illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 and will now be described.

As illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, the leading end of the bore means 39 in the collar means 19 of the apparatus 10 is counterbored and internally threaded at 49 to receive a threaded end 50 of a retainer 51, the retainer 51 having a hexagonal flange 52 to facilitate insertion of the end 50 thereof in the counterbore of the collar means 19.

The retainer 51 has a bore means 53 passing through the left hand end 54 thereof and intersects with a tapering bore 55 interrupting the right hand end 56 thereof, the end 56 of the retainer 51 being externally threaded at 57 to threadedly receive a lock nut 58 for a purpose hereinafter described.

A split tapering collar 59 is provided and has a circumferential flange 60 at one end thereof to be grasped by the lock nut 58.

The left hand tapering portion of the split collar 59 is internally threaded at 61 to threadedly receive a threaded end 62 of a conventional rifle barrel 63, the rifle barrel 63 having been sawed off the desired distance if necessary.

After the threaded end 62 of the rifle barrel 63 has been threaded into the collar 59, the collar 59 is inserted in the tapering bore portion 55 of the retainer 51.

Thereafter, the lock nut 58 is tightened onto the threaded end 57 of the retainer 51 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4 to wedge the collar 59 to the left to firmly hold the rifle barrel 63 thereto so as to prevent recoil of the rifle barrel 63 when the rifle has been discharged for the purpose previously described.

A suitable heat shield 64 is disposed over the retainer 51 and another heat shield 65 has an end 66 thereof carried by the lock nut 58 and the other end 67 thereof secured to the base 68 of the rifle by a set screw 69 whereby the heat shields 64 and 65 permit air to circulate around the rifle barrel 63 to cool the same, the heat shields 64 and 65 having suitable openings 70 provided therein for such air circulation means.

The base portion 68 of the rifle or projectile shooting means 11 of this invention has means for loading the same with conventional bullets and has a conventional trigger mechanism to discharge the same for the purpose previously described.

For example, the projectile shooting means 11 of this invention can comprise a Winchester Model 514 or an automatic Harrington Richardson 10-shot rifle or the like.

However, the particular projectile shooting means being utilized does not form a limitation of this invention.

Therefore, it can be seen that this invention not only provides an improved apparatus for extruding a tubular member from a solid billet in a manner to prevent an adverse vacuum condition from collapsing the tubular member, but also this invention provides an improved method for extruding such a tubular member or the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for extruding a tubular member from a billet comprising means for extruding said tubular member from said billet through an annular cavity defined between cooperating male die means and female die means whereby said tubular member has a closed leading end creating a vacuum condition therein between said closed leading end and said male die means as said leading end moves away from said male die means during the extrusion of said tubular member, and means for piercing said tubular member intermediate said closed end and said male die means to relieve said vacuum condition before said vacuum condition collapses said tubular member.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lastnamed means is manually operated.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lastnamed means is automatically operated.

4. Apparatus for extruding a tubular member from a billet comprising means for extruding said tubular member from said billet whereby said tubular member has a closed leading end creating a vacuum condition therein, and a projectile shooting means for shooting a projectile into said tubular member to relieve said vacuum condition before said vacuum condition collapses said tubular member.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lastnamed means is manually operated.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lastnamed means is automatically operated. I

7. Apparatus for extruding a tubular member from a billet comprising means for extruding said tubular member from said billet whereby said tubular member has a closed leading end creating a vacuum condition therein, collar means through which said tubular member passes, and a projectile shooting means carried by said collar means for shooting a projectile into said tubular member to relieve said vacuum condition before said tuubular member emerges from said collar means so that said vacuum condition will not collapse said tubular member.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said lastnamed means is manually operated.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said lastnamed means is automatically operated.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said lastnamed means comprises a conventional rifle means.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said collar means has cavity means for receiving said projectile after said projectile passes through said tubular member.

12. A method for extruding a tubular member from a billet comprising the steps of extruding said tubular member from said billet through an annular cavity defined between cooperating male die means and female die means whereby said tubular member has a closed leading end creating a vacuum condition therein between said closed leading end and said male die means as said leading end moves away from said male die means during the extrusion of said tubular member, and piercing said tubular member to relieve said vacuum condition before said vacuum condition collapses said tubular member intermediate said closed end and said male die means.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of piercing said tubular member as accomplished manually.

14. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of piercing said tubular member is accomplished automatically.

15. A method for extruding a tubular member from a billet comprising the steps of extruding said tubular member from said billet whereby said tubular member has a closed leading end creating a vacuum condition therein, and shooting a projectile into said tubular member to relieve said vacuum condition 'before said vacuum condition collapses said tubular member.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of shooting said projectile is accomplished manually.

17. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of shooting said projectile is accomplished automatically.

18. A method for extruding a tubular member from a billet comprising the steps of extruding said tubular member from said billet whereby said tubular member has a closed leading end creating a vacuum condition therein, securing a projectile shooting means to a collar means through which said tubular member passes, and shooting a projectile from said projectile shooting means into said tubular member to relieve said vacuum condition before said tubular member emerges from said collar means so that said vacuum condition will not co'llapse said tubular member.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said step of shooting said projectile is accomplished manually.

20. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said step of shooting said projectile is accomplishel automatically.

21. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said projectile shooting means comprises a conventional rifle means.

22. A method as set forth in claim 18 and including the step of providing a cavity means in said collar means for receiving said projectile after said projectile passes through said tubular member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,202,744 10/1916 Lewis -113 FOREIGN PATENTS 430,949 6/1926 Germany.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. H. D. HOINKES, Assistant Examiner, 

1. APPARATUS FOR EXTRUDING A TUBULAR MEMBER FROM A BILLET COMPRISING MEANS FOR EXTRUDING SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FROM SAID BILLET THROUGH AN ANNULAR CAVITY DEFINED BETWEEN COOPERATING MALE DIE MEANS AND FEMALE DIE MEANS WHEREBY SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAS A CLOSED LEADING END CREATING A VACUUM CONDITION THEREIN BETWEEN SAID CLOSED LEADING END AND SAID MALE DIE MEANS AS SAID LEADING END MOVES AWAY FROM SAID MALE DIE MEANS DURING THE EXTRUSION OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR PIERCING SAID TUBULAR MEMBER INTERMEDIATE SAID CLOSED END AND SAID MALE DIE MEANS TO RELIEVE SAID VACUUM CONDITION BEFORE SAID VACUUM CONDITION COLLAPSES SAID TUBULAR MEMBER. 